EAST ALTON – Tonight was the 77th annual Gallatin Players of the Year Banquet which recognizes girls and boys high school basketball players from Alton, Marquette Catholic, Civic Memorial, East Alton-Wood River, and Roxana. The event was held at the Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton.
The banquet started in 1946 and it was called the Alton Exchange Club Banquet then in 2018 due to budget issues a new group took it over and changed the name to the Gallatin Players of the Year Banquet after the late Harry Gallatin.
The Gallatin Banquet was named after basketball legend Harry Gallati. Gallatin grew up in Wood River and graduated from Roxana High School in 1944. Following a standout prep career, he was a standout college player at Northeast Missouri State, now Truman State in Kirksville, MO. Gallatin played for 10 years in the NBA, from 1948 to 1958, and spent the first nine years with the New York Knicks. Gallatin led the NBA in rebounding during the 1954 season when he averaged 15.3 rebounds per game and earned a spot on the All-Star team. Gallatin was a seven-time All-Star.
After the NBA Gallatin began coaching at SIUC where he complied a 69-35 record. He started the SUIE basketball program in 1967-68 and was the director of athletics and assistant dean of students. He retired in 1992. One year before his retirement, Gallatin was selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame. Gallatin is also a member of 10 other Hall of Fames.
One of their own was the keynote speaker, as 1991 Boys POY winner Jonathan Denney performed that honor. Denney, the Southwestern Illinois College women’s basketball head coach in his second season, was an all-state point guard for the Civic Memorial Eagles when he secured the coveted River Bend hoops award. He went on to direct the CM girl’s basketball program to a 300-120 record in 14 years before moving on to SWIC. The Eagles captured seven regional and two sectional titles during his tenure at the helm.
The Special Service Award went to John Simmons, The Girls Sportsmanship Award went to the Civic Memorial  Lady Eagles and the Boys went to Roxana Shells. The Girls Free Thow Award went to Jarius Powers of Alton and the Boys went to Semaj Stampley of Marquette.
The Boys 110 Percent Finalist Were:
Alex Macias (Alton)
Josh Hodge (CM)
Tookie Smith (EAWR)
Sean Maberry ( Roxana)
Winner: Sean Williams (Marquette)
The Girls 110 Percent Finalist Were:
Addison Pranger (Marquette)
Marlee Durbin (CM)
Jordan Haley (EAWR)
Tatum Shaw (Roxana)
Winner: Kiyoko Proctor (Alton)
Boys MVP Finalist Were:
Adam Ogden (CM)
Braden Kline (Marquette)
Devon Green (EAWR)
Aidan Briggs (Roxana)
Winner: Semaj Stampley (Alton)
Girls MVP Finalist Were:
Avari Combes (CM)
Kaylynn Buttry (EAWR)
Allie Weiner (Marquette)
Daisy Daugherty (Roxana)
Winner: Jarius Powers (Alton)
Previous Players of the Year award winners include:
2024 – Semaj Stampley of Alton and Jarius Powers of Alton
2023 – Sam Buckley of CM and Kiyoko Proctor of Alton
2022 – Owen Williams of Marquette and Kelbie Zupan of CM
2021 — Ja’Markus Gary of Alton and Tori Standefer of CM
2020 — Gavin Huffman of Roxana and Anna Hall of CM
2019 — Donovan Clay of Alton and Anna Hall of CM
2018 — Sammy Green of Marquette Catholic and Kaylee Eaton of CM
2017 – Maurice Edwards of Alton and Allie Troeckler of CM
2016 – Shandon Boone of Marquette Catholic and Allie Troeckler of CM
2015 – Darrius Edwards of Alton and Allie Troeckler of CM
2014 – Deion Lavender of Marquette Catholic and Megan Trost of CM
2013 — Hunter Reine of Roxana and Megan Trost of CM
2012 — Hunter Reine of Roxana and Megkinize Carter of CM
2011 — Tony Bradley of Alton and Cassie Endicott of CM
2010 — Tony Bradley of Alton and Kelsey Harrison of EA-WR
2009 — Ryan Mathews of Alton and Michaela Herrod of Alton
2008 —Ruben Cotto of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM
2007 — Kavon Lacey of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM
2006 — Kavon Lacey of Alton and Katie Broadway of CM
2005 — Lorenzo Taylor of Alton and Emily Best of EA-WR
2004 — Nick Certa of Marquette Catholic and Emily Best of EA-WR
2003 — Nick Certa of Marquette Catholic and Jordan Davis of Roxana
2002 — Travis Williams of EA-WR and Casey Law of CM
2001 — Michael Stockard of Alton and Ashley Russell of EA-WR
2000 — Demarko “Book” Snipes of Alton and Michelle Beiermann of Marquette Catholic
1999 — Demarko “Book” Snipes of Alton and Kendra Snyder of Marquette Catholic
1998 — Tony Certa of Marquette Catholic and DoBee Oros-Moore of Alton
1997 — Marlon Crawford of Alton and Jenni Combes of CM
1996 — Nic Stotler of CM and Angela Payne of Roxana
1995 — Greg McDanel of Roxana and Erica Oge of Marquette Catholic
1994 — Eric Frankford of CM and Amie Gernigan of Marquette Catholic
1993 – Ty Laux of CM
1992 – Brad Bohannon of Marquette Catholic
1991 – Jonathan Denney of CM
1990 – Kevin Caldwell of Alton
1989 – Joe Vann of Alton
1988 – Steve Mason of Marquette Catholic
1987 – Jamie Humphries of CM
1986 – Larry Smith of Alton
1985 – Larry Smith of Alton
1984 – Dale Liley of EA-WR
1983 – Rick Taylor of Alton
1982 – Steve Wooley of EA-WR
1981 – Dan Coddington of EA-WR
1980 – Troy Washpun of Alton
1979 – Jim “Buzz” Logan of EA-WR
1978 – David Goins of Alton
1977 – Brad Scheiter of Alton
1976 – Leroy Stampley of Alton
1975 – Chris Schroeder of Roxana
1974 – Doug Nalley of Alton
1973 – Lafayette Collins of Alton
1972 – Dennis Olston of EA-WR
1971 – Ron Caldwell of Alton
1970 – Dave Taynor of CM
1969 – Mike Jeffries of Alton
1968 – Leon Huff of Alton
1967 – Ricci Stotler of CM
1966 – Jim Bailey of EA-WR
1965 – Terry Brown of EA-WR
1964 – Larry Jeffries of Alton
1963 – Bob Hilgendorf of CM
1962 – Larry Shoemaker of Alton
1961 – Gary Lane of EA-WR
1960 – Karl Doucleff of Western Military Academy
1959 – Jerry Messick of EA-WR
1958 – Mike Hunter of Alton
1957 – Jim Lemon of EA-WR
1956 – Cliff Talley of EA-WR
1955 – Essic Robinson of Alton
1954 -Richard Brown of Roxana
1953 – Dick Harbke of Roxana
1952 – Ron Fisher of EA-WR
1951 – Bob Kuhn of Alton
1950 – Lowell Pettit of EA-WR
1949 – Ron Bedwell of Roxana
1948 – Sam Vinyard of EA-WR
1947 – Bob Caffery of EA-WR
1946 – Dick Erzen of EA-WR
